Earlier this year, Microsoft announced a new Windows subscription service for enterprise clients that would offer Windows 10 Enterprise starting at $7 a month. The SKU is offered by Cloud Solution Providers but for most companies, the E5 offering is what most will want but that option will not launch until October 1st.

For larger companies, the E5 version of Windows 10 Enterprise is the more compelling offer as it includes Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection that will help mitigate attacks on a corporate network and combat the rising threat of ransomware. As for a price, Microsoft is setting a $14 estimated retail price point for E5 but the price could vary by Cloud Service Provider depending on features included with the SKU.

One of the new features in Windows 10 is that you can upgrade to Windows 10 Pro to Windows 10 Enterprise E3 without rebooting. For those looking to upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise without the subscription fee, that option is still available through the tradition licensing channels.

Moving Windows 10 to a subscription model for the Enterprise is a change that has been expected ever since Office 365 was announced. The company, at this time, has not made any indication if they will attempt to move the consumer version of Windows to a subscription model; I don’t see that happening in the near term but it is always a possibility.